284 THE GROWTH OF CANADA 



through the enactment of the famous McKinley 

 Bill. 



In addition to this policy, the Harrison ad 

 ministration brought to the front a personality 

 which gave small promise of better relations 

 with any foreign power. Mr. James G. Elaine 

 became secretary of state. He brought to 

 that office the reputation of one who would 

 assert with exceptional vigor the rights and 

 claims of the United States. His political fol 

 lowing included a group of Irish-Americans to 

 whom the separation of Ireland from Great 

 Britain was an end that justified any means. 

 His public career teemed with incidents that 

 had rasped the feelings of Britons and Cana 

 dians as effectively as Lord Salisbury had rasped 

 the Americans. The conjunction of these two 

 men at the head of the foreign offices boded ill 

 for amity among the English-speaking peoples. 



It was expected that the accession of the 

 Harrison administration would be followed by 

 a renewal of the tension concerning the north 

 eastern fisheries. Forebodings in this respect 

 proved groundless. No settlement of the dis 

 puted questions of right was indeed arrived at, 

 but careful and considerate conduct by both 

 fishermen and authorities made serious clashes 



